Terms of Payment

Effective Date: 08/07/2025

1. Payment Methods

We accept the following payment methods for professional services:

• ✓ Bank Transfer (BACS/Faster Payments) – Preferred method for business clients
• ✓ Direct Debit – For recurring monthly maintenance packages
• ✓ Corporate Credit/Debit Cards – Via secure payment gateway
• ✓ Cheque – Payable to Prime PC Services (PPCS)

All payment information is processed securely in compliance with UK GDPR and PCI DSS standards. We do not store your payment card details.

2. Payment Terms for Professional Services

Implementation Projects (Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, ISO 42001)

Standard Payment Structure:

• • 50% deposit due upon project commencement (within 7 days of signed service agreement)
• • 50% balance due upon project completion and delivery of final documentation

For larger projects (£15,000+), milestone-based payments may be structured as:

• • 30% deposit at project start
• • 40% at mid-project milestone (e.g., gap analysis completion, policy documentation approved)
• • 30% upon final completion and certification submission

Annual Renewal Services

Payment for annual certification renewals (Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001 surveillance audits) is due in full before commencement of renewal work.

Typical timeline:

• • Invoice issued 30 days before certification expiry
• • Payment due within 14 days
• • Renewal work commences upon payment receipt

Ongoing Maintenance Packages

Monthly maintenance packages (from £300/month) are billed monthly in advance via:

• • Direct Debit (preferred) – Automatic payment on the 1st of each month
• • Standing Order – Manual recurring payment
• • Invoice – For firms requiring purchase order processes (payment due within 7 days)

First month payment: Due before service commencement
Subsequent months: Billed automatically on the 1st of each month

Ad-Hoc Services

Gap analysis, one-off training sessions, incident response support, and other ad-hoc professional services are invoiced upon completion.

Payment Due: Within 14 calendar days of invoice date.

3. Late Payment Terms

We understand that payment processes vary between firms. However, to ensure sustainable service delivery, the following late payment terms apply:

Grace Period

A 7-day grace period is provided beyond the invoice due date before late payment charges apply.

Late Payment Charges

In accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, overdue invoices will incur:

• • Interest charges: 8% per annum plus Bank of England base rate (currently 8% + [base rate]%)
• • Debt recovery costs: Statutory compensation for debt recovery (£40-£100 depending on invoice value)

Service Suspension

For ongoing maintenance packages, services may be suspended if payment is more than 30 days overdue. We will provide written notice before suspension.

4. Estimates, Quotes, and Invoices

Estimates and Quotes

Before commencing any engagement, we will provide:

• ✓ Written proposal outlining scope of work, deliverables, and timeline
• ✓ Fixed-price quote or time-and-materials estimate (clearly specified)
• ✓ Payment terms and milestone structure (if applicable)

Invoices

All invoices include:

• • Invoice number and date
• • Service description and period covered
• • Breakdown of fees (day rates, fixed fees, or milestone payments)
• • VAT (20%) where applicable
• • Payment due date
• • Payment instructions (bank details, reference number)

VAT: PPCS is VAT registered. All prices quoted exclude VAT unless explicitly stated otherwise.

5. Deposits and Advance Payments

Why We Require Deposits

Professional services engagements involve significant upfront investment in resource allocation, research, and preparation. Deposits ensure mutual commitment to the project.

Deposit Terms

• • Deposits are non-refundable once work has commenced
• • If you cancel before work begins, deposits are refundable minus any costs already incurred (e.g., certification body registration fees)
• • Deposits are credited against final invoices upon project completion

Third-Party Costs

Where we pay certification body fees or other third-party costs on your behalf, these are invoiced separately and due before submission to the third party. These costs are non-refundable once paid.

6. Cancellation Policy

Project Cancellation by Client

If you wish to cancel an engagement after work has commenced:

1. Provide written notice to hello@ppcs.uk
2. Payment for work completed – We will invoice for all work completed up to the cancellation date, calculated on a pro-rata basis
3. Unrecoverable costs – Any third-party costs already incurred (certification fees, external auditor bookings) remain payable
4. Deposit retention – Deposits may be retained to cover work completed and unrecoverable costs

Project Cancellation by PPCS

We reserve the right to cancel or suspend an engagement if:

• • Payment terms are not met (more than 30 days overdue)
• • Your firm is unable to provide necessary access, information, or cooperation
• • There are material breaches of the service agreement

In such cases, we will provide written notice and refund any advance payments for work not completed.

Maintenance Package Cancellation

Monthly maintenance packages can be cancelled with 30 days’ written notice. No refunds are provided for partial months.

7. Disputed Invoices

If you believe an invoice is incorrect or unclear:

1. Contact us within 7 days of invoice receipt at hello@ppcs.uk
2. Provide specific details of the disputed items
3. Continue paying undisputed amounts – If part of an invoice is disputed, please pay the undisputed portion while we investigate

We will:

• ✓ Acknowledge your dispute within 2 business days
• ✓ Investigate and respond with clarification or correction within 5 business days
• ✓ Pause late payment charges on disputed amounts during investigation

8. Scope Changes and Additional Work

If during an engagement you request changes to the agreed scope of work:

Minor Changes (Less than 10% of project value)

We will notify you of any additional costs and obtain approval before proceeding. Additional work will be invoiced separately.

Major Changes (More than 10% of project value)

We will provide a revised proposal and quote. Work on the new scope will not commence until a revised service agreement is signed.

Out-of-Scope Requests

Ad-hoc requests outside the agreed scope (e.g., additional training sessions, emergency support) will be quoted and invoiced separately at our standard rates.

9. Retention of Title

Documentation and Deliverables

All documentation, policies, procedures, reports, and other deliverables created during an engagement remain the intellectual property of PPCS until full payment is received.

Upon receipt of full payment:

• ✓ All deliverables transfer to your ownership
• ✓ You receive an unrestricted license to use, modify, and distribute the materials within your organization

Access to Systems and Support

For ongoing maintenance packages, access to support services, quarterly reviews, and compliance updates will be suspended if payment is more than 30 days overdue.

10. Currency and Tax

Currency

All invoices are issued in British Pounds Sterling (GBP £).

VAT

PPCS is registered for VAT. Standard rate VAT (20%) is added to all services unless your firm provides a valid exemption certificate.

Reverse Charge VAT

For clients outside the UK (if applicable), reverse charge VAT may apply. We will confirm VAT treatment in the service agreement.

11. Credit Terms for Established Clients

For firms with established payment history (6+ months of timely payments), we may offer extended credit terms:

• • Net 30 days for all invoices
• • Milestone payments for larger projects without upfront deposits

To request extended credit terms, please contact hello@ppcs.uk with:

• • Company registration details
• • Trade references
• • Recent financial statements (if applicable)

12. Changes to Payment Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms of Payment from time to time. Changes will be:

• • Posted on our website with an updated effective date
• • Notified to existing clients via email for material changes
• • Applied to new engagements immediately
• • Applied to existing engagements from the next billing cycle (for maintenance packages)

13. Governing Law

These Terms of Payment are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

We value transparent, fair business relationships and are committed to working with you to ensure smooth payment processes that support your compliance journey.